• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

fur in the poo

W

Wispa & Zola

Mama Doe
the rest of the poo is fine but i have seen one poo from Wispa where there is enough fur in it for me to see it.

im pretty sure i read that this is a bad sign!

CIMG0190.jpg
 
It shows fur is passing through the GI tract as it should. Its when the tract slows down and fur stops passing, accumulating inside that there is a problem as it can cause a blockage secondary to GI stasis.

Feeding Bromelain, fresh pineapple or papaya is thought to help.

Several remedies have been proposed to assist in the break up or passage of a hairball. Pineapple juice contains the digestive enzyme bromelain and has been used to treat early cases of trichobezoars; an adult rabbit is given 10 mL of fresh or frozen juice through a stomach tube or intubation needle, SID-BID for 3 days. Both the fluid and the enzyme help to break up the matrix of the hairball. Canned pineapple juice is not as effective because the canning process destroys the enzyme. Papaya contains the enzyme papain, also called papayazyme. Papain enzymes do not break down the hair itself, but may help break down the mucus that holds the hairball together. Human health food or nutrition stores carry bromelain and papayazyme supplements as aids to digestion.
Click to expand...
 
Personally I dont see why it should be necessary in a rabbit with a full functioning GI tract with good motility. The gut is designed to pass fur without assistance.

Hairballs are thought only to develope as a secondary problem (in realtion to stasis), not a primary one (causeing stasis).

I do worry that feeding fruit juice on a regular basis can have a negative impact on the gut flora but I have no specific evidence of this.

On the other hand giving a bromelain or papayazyme tablet should not do any harm even if it does no good.
 
louise told me yesterday that the back feet need to be combed as the matting that occurs on fluffy feet (alvins are very fluffy) are what seems to block them up.... the other hair that passes thro is a natural rabbit thing, combing them does help tho :).. she must have seen my face of fear cus she said if i struggle to get the fiesty demon brushed shed be happy to help :oops:

just need to get a comb now :)
 
oh ok i think i get it now! if there is no poo then thats when i need to worry, as hairballs dont usually happen unless they have stasis. but to help prevent a ball from forming if she gets stasis comb the bunny
 
Wispa said:
so i have nothing to worry about unless i see lots and lots of fur in lots and lots of poo
Click to expand...

If she has an exceptionally heavy moult regular grooming and a bromelain or papayazyme tablet is a good idea.

I would also consider giving papayazyme to a rabbit showing signs of going into stasis to help break apart any matter which could prospectively bind into a blockage.

The best treatment is prevention though so removing as much excess fur as possible before it enters the GI tract by grooming is the best course of action.

As always encouraging fiber and fluid intake will help with GI motility.
 
Wispa said:
oh ok i think i get it now! if there is no poo then thats when i need to worry, as hairballs dont usually happen unless they have stasis. but to help prevent a ball from forming if she gets stasis comb the bunny
Click to expand...

You got it ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

hazelthebun18
Need help Rabbit has fur loss on foot
Replies
3
Views
210
Babsie
B
D
Pregnant bunny ?
Replies
1
Views
424
InspectorMorse
InspectorMorse
P
Lice or mites??
Replies
1
Views
106
InspectorMorse
InspectorMorse
Back
Top